Jaime hadn't truly expected her to be willing to leave with him right away. He had known it would take time but his time was very limited. Roose had welcomed him as a guest but common courtesy forbade him from overstaying his welcome more than a moon's turn. Any longer than that and the Bolton's would not only want to be rid of him, but they would begin to grow suspicious of what he might really be up to.
It disturbed him that Sansa looked so sad. He's heard rumors that Ramsay was not a kind husband but nothing had prepared him for the listless sadness in her eyes. She was without hope.
He didn't get the chance to speak to her again until three days after his arrival. He found her sitting on a bench in the courtyard, reading. It was a quiet corner on the courtyard and there were no people anywhere nearby.
"I am told your lord husband has gone on a hunt for the day." Jaime said, taking a seat beside her. She eyed him warily but said nothing about the closeness. Then she resumed reading her book. "Today would be a good day to-"
"No." She cut him off. "Roose is still here. In fact his rooms are just over there." She nodded to a window across the courtyard, making it clear that they might have someone watching them at any moment.
"I see. Why doesn't good father hunt as well?" He asked her.
She gave him an odd look. "Ramsay is hunting Milly. She is the daughter of the Master at Arms. He grew bored of her as a lover... "
Jaime felt as if he'd been punched in the gut. "He hunts people?"
Sansa nodded, turning a page in her book. "Yes. And if he is feeling merciful he doesn't flay them when he catches them."
"Gods Sansa… aren't you worried…?"
"Of course I'm worried I could be next." She said in a whisper that was more of a hiss. "The only thing I can do is try not to bore him."
"I know you must think Lannisters are monsters, but we wouldn't resort to something as brutal as that." Jaime told her. "I would never hurt you."
She looked up from her book at him. "I don't think you would. Tyrion never did."
"Then why… why won't you let me take you from here?"
"If hunting and flaying is what he does to people who bore him, imagine what he would do to those who betray him." She said anxiously.
So it was her fear of getting caught trying to escape that was holding her here. At least now he understood. "We won't get caught." He told her.
"How do you know that?" She said, tears in her eyes.
"Because I have a plan. It will work. You'll be safe."
"I… I don't know...I can't…" She tried to speak but was clearly torn on what to do.
He reached over and took her trembling hand in his. "Sansa, I won't let him hurt you. Do you understand?"
Her eyes filled with tears and she squeezed his hand in return.
"I'll come find you to speak about this again." He said and got up from the bench, letting go of her hand.
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Sansa paced her room worriedly. What if Roose had seen her sitting with Ser Jaime? What if he had seen them holding hands? Would he tell Ramsay? She honestly doubted that he would. Roose never said anything when he'd caught her disobeying some of Ramsay's other commands. It was as if such pettiness was below him. But this wasn't just locking the door when her husband had wanted it unlocked or wearing Stark colors instead of Bolton, this was… this could look like she was interested in Ser Jaime and that could be bad for her.
She would deny it all of course if she thought he would believe it but she knew he wouldn't. He never believed her lies, at least not the important ones. And this was going to be a big lie. She had learned to be brave in all her sufferings. She had learned to make up lies when she needed them. She had lied to the lords of the Vale. And told many lies since then. But Ramsay had a knack for torturing the truth out of people and she wasn't confident that she could hold up under it and remain convincing.
She heard the door to her chambers open and turned to face him. Ramsay still had blood on his clothes from the hunt. He was wild eyed and grinning.
"I trust you had an interesting day while I was away, my lady?" Ramsay asked.
He knew. Oh seven hells, he knew! "It was interesting enough, I suppose." She said calmly.
"Really? Because one of the servants told me that you had a nice little chat with the kingslayer."
"It's true, he did speak to me." Sansa said. She couldn't see the point in denying that they had spoken. "We spoke of the last time he visited Winterfell with King Robert." She had decided on this being her story at the last minute.
"I had forgotten. You and Jaime Lannister have met before. He was here at Winterfell for a time and you both at Kingslanding for a time. Were the two of you close?" Ramsay asked, stepping closer to her into her space as he did,
This was only getting worse, she knew. "I was only a child then…" Sansa tried to say but she could see already that he didn't believe her. If she continued to deny it, he would hurt her. If she told him what he expected to hear he still might hurt her but at least he would be thrown off from the truth. "I was too young for him to notice me then but I'm not too young anymore."
Ramsay's eyes flashed with some mixture of anger and amusement. "You like him? You would stray from your lord husband for him?"
"No. I only wanted to see if he would notice me. I would have never taken it further than that." She tried to keep the words coming.
"No, you wouldn't have. You love your husband too much for that."
"Of course my lord." She said.
"Good." Ramsay said, the smile back on his face. "Now I wouldn't want you to be lonely tonight. I'm no kingslayer but I think I can make you forget him easily enough."
